Climate change poses a global security issue that affects the entire planet, and no single nation can address it alone. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasized this point during the Climate and Defense Summit of the Americas, which brought together leaders from more than 26 nations to discuss the challenges posed by climate change. The summit, co-hosted by the Office of Arctic and Global Resilience and the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, highlighted the need for regional cooperation to tackle the threat of climate change.
Hicks stressed the importance of integrating resilience into defense strategies and conducting security cooperation efforts that focus on developing climate resilience. She emphasized that no nation can tackle the climate challenge alone and that finding ways to confront it together is crucial. The defense community is concerned about securing national interests in the face of climate change effects such as heat waves, flooding, and storms. The U.S. intelligence community has highlighted how climate change exacerbates risks in global health, deepens economic challenges, and could lead to global unrest.
Within the Defense Department, readiness of America’s military is a top concern, and climate change is taken into account in every level of decision-making. The Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis published in 2021 outlines how climate considerations will be integrated into key processes, including strategy, planning, budgeting, and engagements with allies and partners. The summit provided an opportunity for leaders from across the Americas to address environmental problems and develop solutions together. Continued collaboration is essential to building resilient forces, infrastructure, and operations to respond to climate-related disasters.
During the summit, discussions focused on how federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency work together during climate-related disasters. The strong relationship between these agencies was praised, but there is a need to strengthen civilian partner agencies to handle crises independently. The challenge involves ensuring that civilian institutions are well-funded, have the necessary planning and operational capabilities, and can maintain critical infrastructure such as water and power. Strengthening civilian agencies will enable them to respond appropriately to climate-related emergencies and reduce the burden on defense and security ministries. By working together, nations can address the shared challenge of climate resiliency and develop solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
